Circulation
Actions Menu
Circulation > Actions menu
The Actions dropdown menu contains specialized circulation functions such as the Advanced Bookings and Process Pending Bookings commands.
Cash Drawer Balance. The Cash Drawer Balance selection tallies your cash drawer balance. Enter the cash drawer Staring Balance, Start Date (date you want the report to begin), and End Date (through date that you want the report to cover) and click Continue. The report totals your payments and refunds, and includes patron barcodes, dates and descriptions of charges, total refunds and/or payments, the initial drawer balance, and the new balance.
Example Report:
- Advanced Bookings. This will open the Advanced Bookings window, which allows you to process reservations that begin on or between two selected dates.
- Process Pending Bookings. This performs the Process Pending Bookings command, which checks to see if any of the unavailable items have recently become available. If they have, they're automatically assigned to the requesting patron.
Command Line and Circulation Mode
Circulation > Circulation Controls
Select a Circulation Mode from the dropdown menu located to the left of the Command Line. The Circulation Mode field indicates which function will be implemented when patron/item barcodes are typed or scanned. Frequently used modes are Bookdrop (B), Check Out (.), Hold (H), and Renewal (R).
Command Line
The command line, located at the top-center of Circulation, is where you enter circulation commands or barcode numbers for patrons and items. If you enter only a barcode, the current Circulation Mode (shown to the left of the command line) will determine what action is performed. By default, the command line assumes that text input is a circulation command first and a patron/item barcode second.
Override Date. An operator-provided Override Date can appear immediately after the Command Line. The function of an override date depends on the current Circulation Mode.
Circulation Mode
- Inventory (I). This updates the Inventory Date for all materials entered and triggers an alert for Circulation Exceptions.
- Inventory Bookdrop (IB). This updates the Inventory Date for all materials entered while simultaneously bookdropping them and triggers an alert for Circulation Exceptions.
- Inventory Bookdrop Suppressed (IBS). This updates the Inventory Date for all materials entered while simultaneously bookdropping them and bypasses any Circulation Exceptions alerts.
- Inventory Suppressed (IS). This updates the Inventory Date for each item entered and bypasses any Circulation Exceptions alerts.
- In Transit Mode (IT). This assigns checked out copies to the In Transit System Patron (barcode # 9). Afterward, the copy will be placed In Transit to its home library (whichever library is specified in the copy's Copy Site field).
- Item Res Checkout (GG). This is for checking out items that have been reserved by a patron; if the item is entered during a reservation date range it will be checked out to the patron who requested it and that patron will appear in the current patron pane.
- Patron Res Checkout (GPP). This checks out any reserved items a patron has if their patron barcode number is entered during the reservation date range and said item will appear in the current item pane.
- Patron Reservations (GP). This reserves a specific item (specific item barcode) for multiple patrons. This mode saves times when multiple patrons want to reserve the same item however it can't be used if there isn't a current item in the current item pane.
- Renewal (R). This renews currently checked out items.
- Reservations (G). This reserves a specified copy (specific item barcode) to the current patron for a specified date range.
- Reserve (J). This reserves a specified copy (specific item barcode) for the patron in the current patron pane. This mode can't be used if there isn't a patron in the current patron pane.
- Statistics (Y). Starts Statistics Mode, which is used for recording that items have been 'checked out' without actually checking them out.
- Transfer (.X). This works exactly like the Check Out (.), with one exception: when the copy that is scanned is checked out to a patron other than your current patron, instead of allowing you to bookdrop the copy, the copy will be transferred to the current patron.
See the full list of Circulation Commands.
Current Patron
Circulation > Current Patron pane
Many Alexandria functions and commands depend on the Current Patron or Current Item. For example, you must have a Current Patron to check out, hold, or reserve an item.
The Current Patron pane consists of two areas: The larger, white area contains patron name, barcode, policy, homeroom, picture, and a short summary of the number of items checked out, on hold, reserved, with reservations, overdue, and the total fines or credits accrued; other things, such as the patron's current Lexile or Reading Level measurement, can be displayed here if you have your preferences set correctly.
The colored strip at the bottom of the pane contains buttons for Details and Lookup; the Actions menu located at the bottom-right contains identical (and some exclusive) selections.
Details
View and email or print the current patron's account details, including currently loaned items, holds, reservations, fees and other charges, and general information. You can choose whether or not to include cover art when viewing, emailing, and printing patron details.
Patron Details will show relevant details for Library or Textbook data, depending on which Circulation window you access it from. To view Textbook data from Librarian or vice versa, adjust your Circulation Preferences.
Circulation's Patron Details is interactive! Say you want to renew an item or forgive a charge for the patron whose Details you're viewing. Simply click on that section's heading (i.e. "Items Out" or "Charge Summary") to be taken to the right place in Circulation.
Lookup
Opens the Patron Lookup dialog, allowing you to search your database for patron records; performs the same action as using the “L” command.
Actions Menu
Notes. Available when the current patron has associated contact, alert, categorical, or general notes. Notes are provided for patrons in the Notes tabs of Patrons Management. When clicked you are also able to add notes directly to the resulting Patron Notes dialog.
- Reserves. Provides a list of the current patron's reserves; you can remove some or all reserves from the resulting Patron Reserves dialog.
- History. Runs an individual Patron History report, which shows recent payments, credits, renewals, lost items, refunds, Lexile history, and returned items. The PDF will automatically download to your device. You can also run this report by clicking Show History in the Actions menu of Patrons Management.
Current Item
Circulation > Current Item pane
current item screenshot
Many Alexandria functions and commands depend on the Current Patron or Current Item. You must have a Current Patron to check out, hold, or reserve an item.
The Current Item pane consists of two areas: The white area contains the copy, barcode, policy, call number, status, picture, and a short summary of available title copies. The colored strip at the bottom of the pane contains some actions and helpful reports.
Copy List
The Copy List shows how many copies are available, the holds queue, and lists each copy's site, location, status, and details. It can be viewed or printed, and you can use the Q= command for quick access. Several parts of the Copy List are clickable:
- Author's name. Performs an automatic item lookup by author.
- Open item details: Pulls up that title's Item Details.
- Patron names: Makes that patron current.
- Copy call numbers and barcodes: Makes that copy current.
Copy Stats
See the copy's checkout count, last use date, previous checkouts, and more with Copy Stats.
Lookup
Enter your search term and then scroll through your results below. In a Centralized Catalog, select the site you want to search from the dropdown menu in the bottom left corner of the dialog.
To perform a "begins with" search, enclose a phrase in quotation marks and an asterisk. For example, you would type "har*" if you were looking for Harry Potter. You can also start a "begins with" search from the command line using the T command (e.g. T "har*").
(item lookup screen)
Actions Menu
- Details. Contains information about the item, including reviews, summary, links, genres, subjects, Study Programs, awards, and publisher information. It can be viewed, printed, or emailed. While viewing Item Details in Circulation, you can click on open copy list to pull up the Copy List or on the review stars to open Reviews Management. Use the QI command for quick access.
- Notes. Add a new note or view existing notes for the current copy. Copy Notes and Alert notes can be entered here or in Items > Copy Records.
- Reserves. A list of patrons who have the current copy reserved.
- Show Map. If the current copy's call number falls within the range of a corresponding map (created in Maps Management), selecting Show Map will display the the map, detailing where the copy is located in your library. These maps can be conveniently printed from your browser and handed to interested patrons. If the current copy lacks a call number (or there is no map with an associated call number range), Show Map is disabled.
- Vendors. This selection opens a secondary menu containing a list of Alexandria third-party partners that, when selected, link to their respective websites. Individual vendors can be disabled in Services Preferences.